Teieds to alfeed haevey and hoeatio ist



(No Modem M R THURBER GAR- GOUPLING. No. 291,960. Patented Jan. l5, 1884.

is .tazncy Unire Srarns MILTON R. THURBER, OF SORANTON,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- TEIRDS TO ALFRED HARVEY AND HORATIO N. PATRICK, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,960, dated January 15, 1884.

Application led July 6, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, MILTON R. THURBER, ofthe city of Scranton, in the county ot'Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and Improved Car-Coupling; and I do herebyT declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures andletters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2 is an end view ofthe same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section taken on the line x x ot Fig. 2, showing in full lines the pin raised ready for coupling and in dotted lines the position of the pin after coupling.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

A represents the draw-head of a car, having at its 'lorward end a chamber, B, which has on each of its sides inclines, upon which is adapted to slide a wedge-shaped block, C, that has at its forward end a small concave recess, c, which presses against the couplingpin and keeps it steady.

D represents an ordinary coupling-pin inserted through a perforation, d, in the top of' the draw-head. NVhen ready for coupling to 3o another car, this pin is adapted to rest upon and be supported by the block C, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3.

E is an aperture in the side ofthe draw-head,

- leading to the chamber B, through which the wedge-shaped block C is adapted to be inserted. This aperture is placed at an angle to the plane of the incline, so that the block cannot acci` dentally be dropped out of the chamber and lost, and it hasa slight projecting fiange around 4o it, so that rain, snow, die., cannot reach the inside ofthe draw-head and clog the working parts of the device. The chamber Bis slightly bell-mouthed, so that the link in the draw-head l of the approaching car will more readily enter the proper place, and the bottom and upper portion of said chamber are slightly hollowed out, so that the link can be more readily adj usted to enter the draw-head of a higher or lower car.

Upon raising the coupling-pin D to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, the block O will by gravity fall to the lowest portion ofthe incline and support the pin directly over the perforation d in the bottom of the draw-head, corresponding to the perforation d above. When the link F, supported in lthe draw-head of the car to be coupled, strikes the block D and presses it inward, the block slides upward 1 on the inclines until it passes from under the head oi" the pin, which then falls through the link, and the coupling is effected.

The peculiar advantage of my invention is that an ordinary link-and-pin coupling can be changed into an auton'iatic coupling with a very slight modification.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the draw-head provided with the incline, the wedge-shaped block sliding on said incline and having the notch in its forward end, with the aperture in the side of the head for the insertion and withdrawal of the sliding block, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the draw-head, entirely inclosing the operating parts ofthe coupling, the inclines, the wedge-shaped block, having the notch in its forward edge, and the aperture in the side of the draw-head corresponding to the shape ofthe sliding block and placed at an angle to the plane ofthe incline, substantially as described. f

MILTON R. THURBER. Witnesses:

HoRATIo N. PATRICK, J. M. PooRE.

The operation of my device is as follows: 

